Sofas are the cornerstone of the living room. They’re where you enjoy your morning coffee, binge-watch your new favourite show and host family and friends, pets and more — yes, even that pile of letters you need to get around to sorting. But when it starts to feel worn or no longer gives you the support you need, you feel it fast. Then you fall out of love with it, and all you can think of is its replacement.
But before you rush out and pick the first sofa that feels comfy, let’s take a look at some important tips that make sure you don’t have buyer’s regret a week down the line.
Think About How You Actually Live
It’s really easy to get wowed by showroom styling; cushions fluffed by professionals, lighting in just the right places. But there is a difference between showrooms and homes. You don’t want a sofa that only looks good in a showroom but can handle your family life.
Ask yourself
- Who uses the sofa most days?
- Do you curl up or stretch out?
- Feet up or shoes off?
- Is eating allowed or absolutely not?
This will help dictate the shape you pick — a low, deep sofa is perfect for long days lounging, but is awful for people who struggle to get up after sitting down. A firm, upright style looks sleek, but do you really want to sit like you’re in a waiting room every night? A sofa needs to fit your rhythms, not just look good on paper.
Measure The Room. Measure Again
We’ve all heard the horror stories, sofas too big to fit through doorways or take over the room, and no one can move around them. It’s funny until it’s you.
Measure the room carefully — sketch it out if you need to. Tape out the footprint on the floor around your current sofa with the new ones’ dimensions if you’re keeping it in the same space. A good rule of thumb is that the sofa should be ⅔ of your wall space, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule.
And don’t just measure width, height counts too, especially for getting it into a room or it’s going by windows or cabinets, etc or in front of sockets you need constant access to.
Online browsing is fine and gives you all of these details, but browsing in an actual Sofa Shop will give you a better idea of the size of the sofa.
Fabric Isn’t Just Fabric
This is the reality bit. Luxurious velvet? Gorgeous. Shows every pet hair. Light linen? Looks light and fresh. Sponges up stains like a sponge.
But there’s no one right or wrong choice. Some like the cool feel of leather, others dislike it. For some people, chenille is the perfect sofa fabric; others prefer a fabric that doesn’t snag quite so easily.
How your family uses the sofa should help you find the right material choice. If you use sofa covers, it’s not too much of a problem, but some materials are better suited to different lifestyles, so you need to understand how each will perform in your house, so you know what to expect.
Features and Styles
Sofas come in a range of sizes, materials and have different features too. Do you want a recliner? Electric or manual sectional? A sofa that pulls out into a bed, are you a Chesterfield fan? Do you want built-in cup holders? A midsection that folds down into a tray for drinks? Or does it need storage? And these are just a few considerations to make.
Do you want a chaise or a loveseat? Or a long four-seater sofa for a bigger room. It all matters and all bring different things to your home to help you find the perfect sofa.
No Comments